X-ray of the 2025 Parliamentary Elections: A Detailed Study Showing How Women and Men Are Represented on the Electoral Lists
Chișinău, August 29, 2025 — A new study by the Partnership for Development Center (CPD) shows that although women make up 44.5% of candidates in the 2025 parliamentary elections – almost achieving parity – this share is slightly lower compared to the 2021 elections. The analysis confirms that compliance with the gender quota is essential for ensuring this level of representation, as parties approach it differently: some treat it as a mere formal obligation, while others regard it as a strategic objective. These findings provide important insights into the evolution of the electoral competition.
The preliminary analysis of candidates through the lens of gender equality, “2025 Parliamentary Elections: X-ray of an Electoral Competition”, was developed within the project “Strengthening Democratic Resilience in Moldova”, implemented by UNDP Moldova, in partnership with UN Women Moldova and funded by Norway, Canada, Sweden, and Denmark.
Key findings of the study:
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Although the numerical presence of women on candidate lists is relatively balanced, their positioning shows some fluctuations. In the first 10 positions—considered the most competitive and with the highest chances of securing a parliamentary mandate—women account for 40.7% of all candidates, while in the next decile (positions 11–20) their share slightly increases to 42%.
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While the gender quota is respected, men dominate the top of the lists, with women concentrated in quintiles with lower chances of winning seats.
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Some parties limited themselves strictly to meeting the minimum mandatory quota, while others went beyond legal requirements, including over 50% women among their candidates.
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The average age of candidates running for Parliament is higher than in previous elections. Parties tend to place older candidates in the top positions. In the first 10 slots, the average age is 50.5 years, while in the last 10 slots it drops to 39.1 years—a difference of over 11 years.
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Detailed analysis shows that younger candidates are predominantly placed toward the end of electoral lists, where chances of entering Parliament are lower.
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Around 70% of candidates come from urban areas, with nearly half from Chișinău. More than 45.4% of candidates originate from the municipality of Chișinău, while the next largest contributors—Bălți, Ialoveni, Comrat, and Criuleni—each account for under 4%. Other districts provide only small fractions, most below 1% of the total. This urban concentration is explained both by the greater resources in cities and by the fact that villages have smaller and predominantly older populations.
The study provides a concise overview of the main trends related to gender representation, age structure, territorial distribution, and list positioning, highlighting both progress and current limitations of the electoral process. This is the second study in a cycle of analyses launched by CPD during this electoral period.
For over 15 years, the Partnership for Development Center (CPD) has been monitoring elections from the perspective of gender equality, contributing to the development of public policies and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing biases and encouraging equal participation of women and men in political life. CPD is an active member of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections and contributes to promoting inclusion in electoral processes.
This product was developed within the project “Strengthening Democratic Resilience in Moldova,” implemented by UNDP Moldova, in partnership with UN Women Moldova and funded by Norway, Canada, Sweden, and Denmark.